Machine for the manufacture of compressed pills



3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

J. H.. GILL. MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURED]? COMPRESSED PILLS, LOZENGES,8w.

Patented Dec: 27,1881.

W] T NESSES INVENTOR ydw,

N. PETERS, Phulo-Uifwgnphor. Washington. DC,

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. H. GILL.

- MACHINE FOR THE MANUFAGTURE 0F OOMPRESSEDPILLS, LOZ-ENGBS, am.

No. 251,678. 7 Patented Dec. 27,1881,

IWITNESSESf [NVE/VT'OR N. PETERS. Pholo-Lnlyognphu, Washmglan. D4 C- (NoModel.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

J. H. GILL. MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF COMPRESSED PILLS, Lozmwms, m.

Patented Dec. 27,1881.

I ,J 3r FIG.3. I l "-7 I J 3 jg" Flt-L4.

WITNESSES: [NVENTOR f t. 4%. Flmww.

N MJTERS. Pholn-hlhogmphm: wash-mm D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT Grater...

JABEZ H. GILL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGNMENT, TO JOHN WYETH 81: BROTHER, OF SAME PLACE.

MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF COMPRESSED PILLS, LOZENGES, &c.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 251,678, dated December27, 1881.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JABEz H. GILL, of the city and county ofPhiladelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Machines for the Manufacture of CompressedPills, Lozenges, &c., of which improvements the following is aspecification. L

My invention relates to machines of the class in which pills, tablets,lozenges, or the like are formed by the compression of pulverizedmaterials between dies or plungers, and comprehends improvements uponcertain features of the machine set-forth in Letters Patent of theUnited States No. 215,452, gran ted and issued to Henry Bower (as myassignee) under date shaped pills thereby.

To these ends my improvements consist in certain devices andcombinations, including a carrier-disk or mold wheel provided with aseries of molds; mechanism for intermittently rotating said disk andretaining the same stationary during the intervals in which the pillsare formed; a pair of die-heads, each provided with a series of plungersor pressing-dies, and mounted, with the capacity of rotation, in areciprocating block or slide; cams, connectingrods, and toggle jointmechanism imparting reciprocating movements to the blocks or slidescarrying the die-heads; lubricators and cleaners adapted to be appliedsuccessively to'th'e several dies of the die-heads; mechanism by whichsaid die heads are intermittently rotated, so as tobe presented in turnto ,the Inbricators and cleaners and retained in proper position duringthe intervals between their rotatory movements to admit of the entranceof one of the dies of each into a mold of the carrier-disk for thepressing of a pill; and an Application filed December 7, 1881. (Nomodel.)

ejector and a cleaner for the molds of the carrier-disk.

The improvements claimed are hereinafter more fully set forth. In theaccompanying drawings, Figure l is a vertical central section through amachine for manufacturing compressed pills embodying my improvements;Fig. 2, a plan or top view of the same, with the vertical members of theframe in section; Fig. 3, an end view, partly in section, at rightangles to Fig. 1, the bracket which supports the carrier-disk beingremoved; Fig. 4, a View partly in elevation and partlyin sectionillustrating details of the mechanism for rotating the die-heads; andFig. 5,a horizontal section, on an enlarged scale, through one of thelubricators and-its bearing. y i

The working parts of the machineare mount ed upon a substantial metallicframe composed of a bed plate or table, 1, resting upon legs or supports2, and having a pair of vertical standards, 3, upon its upper surface. Ahorizontal driving-shaft, 4, is mounted in bearings upon the table 1 andcarries a pulley, 5, through which potter for the operation of themachine is transmitted from a suitable prime mover.

The pulverized ingredients to be formed into pills are compressed withincylindrical molds 8o 6, which are arranged in a circular series'and atequal distances apart, around and near the periphery of a carrier-diskor mold-wheel, 7, mounted so as to rotate freely upon a vertical stud orstem, 8, secured in a bracket, 9, pro- 8 jectin g from the front of thetable 1. The carrier-disk and its molds, which are substantially similarin construction to thosedescribed and shown in Letters Patent N 0215,152, before referred to, are intermittentlyrotated by means go of a cam,10, on the driving-shaft 4, said cam having a suitably-formed groove onone of its sides, in which groove works a roller upon one end of a rod,11, the opposite end of which is coupled, with the capacity ofadjustment, 5 through a right-and-left-handed screw-connection, 12, orotherwise, to a slide, 13, fitted in guides on the bracket 9, and havinga pawl,

14, pivoted to its top, saidpawl'en gagin g ratchet-teeth on theperiphery of the carrier-disk and serving to move the latter a fractionof a revolution during each traverse of the slide 13 toward thedriving-shaft 4, the carrier disk remaining stationary during thetraverse of the slide in the opposite direction. The carrier-disk isheld duringits intervals of rest by a spring-detent, 15, which engagesnotches in the periphery of the disk, and is withdrawn therefromprevious to each impulsion of the disk by the pawl 14 by means of a pin,16, on the slide 13, which strikes an arm, 17, on one end of a shaft,18, to the opposite end'of which the detent l5'is secured.

The pulverized ingredients are supplied to the molds from a feed-hopper,19, provided with a stirrer, 20, by a reciprocating feed-slide, 21,which is operated by a double-armed'lever, 22, coupled by aconnecting-rod, 23, to a slide, 24, fitted to reciprocate in guides onthe table 1, and connected to a rod, 25,the opposite'end of whichcarries a roller fitting in a groove on one side of acam, 26, on thedriving-shaft 4. The feed-hopper, stirrer, and feed-slide aresubstantially similarin details of construction and mode of operation tothose of Letters Patent No. 215,452, and not constituting, per 80, partof my present invention, need notfJe herein specifically set forth.

Tbematerial supplied to the molds of the carrier-disk is compactedtherein by dies or plungers 27, which are secured in and projectradially from the peripheries of two die-heads, 28, mounted, with thecapacity of rotation, in bearings on blocks or slides 29, which arefitted to reciprocate between guides on the standards 3 of the frameabove and below the carrier-disk. Reciprocating movementisimparted tothe upper block by a cam, 30, on the driving-shaft,said cam having aside groove, 31, in which fits a roller, 32, upon an arm of a bellcranklever, 33, journaled in the standards 3. The opposite arm of the lever33 is coupled by a pair ofconnecting-bars, 34, to a togglejoint composed.of a joint-pin, 35, and toggle-arms 36 37. The arm 36 is pivoted to astud, 38, on the standards 3, and the arm 37 to a pin, 39, on the upperof the blocks 29. The upward traverse of the lower block, 29, iseffected by a cam, 40,. secured upon a horizontalshaft, 41, and bearingagainst the lower side ofthe block 29, the shaft41 being vibrated in itsbearings by a connecting-rod,42,one end of which carries a rollerfitting a groove, 43, in a cam, 44, on the driving-shaft 4, and which iscoupled at its opposite end to a crank, 45, on the shaft 41. Thedownward traverse ot' the lower block, 29, is facilitated by its owngravity, supplemented, if necessary,by a spring orweight, and is assuredby a pair of slotted links, 46, connected to a pin, 47, on the block 29,pins 48 on the cam 40 entering the slots of the links.

. The die-heads 28 are rotated after each compressing operation 'for aportion of arevolution sufficient to move a different pair of dies intoposition. In the instance shown, there being four dies in each head,theheads will berotated one-fourth of a revolution, and such rotation iseffected when the blocks and heads are at or adjacent to the extremityof their vertical tray erse farthest from the carrier-disk, thelubrication and cleaning of the dies, to be presently described, beingperformed during the compressing operation. The die-heads are rotated bymeans of a rack, 49, to which vertical reciprocation is imparted by abell-crank lever, 50, one arm of which is connected by alink, 51, to theupper end of the rack 49, and which is vibrated about the axis of itsbearing-pin 52 by the connection ofa roller upon its opposite arm with aside groove in a cam, 53, on the drivingshaft 4. A segmental gear, 54,is mounted loosely upon the shaft of each of the die-heads, and a pawl,55, is pivoted to each of the gears 54 and engages the teeth of aratchet, 56, made fast upon the shaft of said gear. The upward traverseof the rack 49 rotates the gears and pawls without imparting movement tothe heads, and the downward traverse of the rack rotates the heads for aquarter of a revolution in the direction of the arrows, Fig. 4, by theind uced pressure of the pawls 55 upon theratchcts 56.

The die-heads 28 are prevented from rotating while their dies are beingpresented to the carrier-disk by spring-detents 57, which engage notchesin the periphery of disks 58 on the shafts of the die-heads, the detentsbeing withdrawn therefrom in season to admit of the rotation of theheads by fingers 59 on the rack 49, the upper of which fingers actsdirectly upon the adjacent detent and the lower upon one arm of arock-shaft, 60, in the frame, the opposite arm of which enters a slot inthe detent of the lower head, the detents being thereby moved,-asrequired, in opposite directions, to be withdrawn from the notches ofthe respective disks by a single movement of the rack, and beingthereafter forced into said notches by their springs. During eachpressing operation' the ends'of one of the dies 27 of each head whichare subsequently to operate are lubricated and their peripheries cleanedin the following manner: Hollow cylindricallubricators 61 are securedupon the ends of stems 62, arranged to rotate as well as receivereciprocating movement, adjacent to the upper and lower die-heads, 28,respectively. The outer ends of the lubricators are closed by sectionsof sponge or analogous porous material adj ustabl y pressed up to theend openings, so as to permit of the escape of a limited quantity of thelubricant as the lubricators are presented successively to the dies ofthe heads in the rotation of the latter. which are passed belts from ashaft, 64, which is in turn rotated by a'belt from the drivingsh'aft 4,and thelubricators and stems are moved endwise in the blocks 29 of thedie-heads, so as to be alternately brought up to and withdrawn .from theends of the dies 27. To this end the stems 62 are fitted to rotate insleeves 65, having the capacity of end motion in their bearin gs in theblocks 29, each of said sleeves having a roller, 66, on one of its sidesfitting an inclined groove, 67, on the standards 3 0f The stems 62 carrypulleys 63, around V the frame. .By such construction it will be seen.that the stems and lubricators are moved inwardly toward the dies astheblocks and die-heads are moved toward each other to effect thecompression of a pill, and are correspondingly moved outwardly and awayfrom sented to and withdrawn from the several dies,

similarly to the lubricators hereinbefore described. A lubricator and acleaner are provided for each of the die-heads, and are located onopposite sides thereof, respectively,

all being in this instance rotated from the shaft 64..

The finished pills are expelled from the molds by an ejector, 70, andforeign matterswhich may adhere to the inner surfaces of the molds areremoved therefrom, after the expulsion of the pills, by mold-cleaners71, (one or more,) the same being steel rods wrapped with some suitablecovering material, and mounted so as to rotate in bearingsin an arm orbracket projecting from the block 2 9 of the upper diehead, -to whicharm the ejector is secured, so that the ejector and cleaners arcinsertedin and removed from the molds by the reciprocatin g movements of saidupper block. The moldcleaners are rotated by a belt from a pulley, 72,on a, vertical shaft, 73, which is in turn rotated by a belt from thedriving-shaft 4.

I claim as my invention and desire to se cure by Letters Patent-.-

1. The combination, in a machine for the manufacture of compressedpills, &c., of a carrier-disk or mold-wheel, two series of pressingdiesor plungers, and mechanism by which different pairs of said dies aresuccessively inserted in and withdrawn from the molds of thecarrier-disk, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, in a machine for the manufacture of compressedpills, &c.,of a carrier-disk or mold-wheel, two die-heads, each providedwith a peripheral series of pressing dies or plungers, and mechanism forreciprocating said die-heads toward andfrom the carrier-disk andimparting partial rotation to the die-heads, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, in a machine for the manufacture of compressedpills,&c., of a carrier-disk or mold-wheel, a die-head provided with aperipheral series of pressing-dies or plungers, and mounted, with thecapacity of l rotation, in a block or slide, a pair of togglejoint arms,one of which is coupled to said block and the other to a bearing on theframe of the machine, a cam fixed upon a driving.- shaft, and a levervibrated by said. cam and coupled to the joint-pin of the toggle-arms,substantially as set forth 4. The combination, in a machinefor themanufacture of compressed pills, &c., of a carrier'disk or mold-wheel, adie-head provided.

with a periphcralseries of pressing-dies or plungers, and mounted, withthe capacity of rotation, in a block or slide, mechanism for rotatingsaid die-head, and a lubricator and a cleaner, each adapted to actsuccessively upon the several dies as presented thereto by the rotationof the head, substantially as setforth.

5. The combination, in a machine for the manufacture of com pressedpills, &c., of acarrier-disk or mold-Wheel, two die-heads, each providedwith a peripheral series of pressingdies or plungers, and mounted, withthe capacity of rotation, in a block or slide, mech anism forreciprocating said blockstoward and from the carrier-disk, a rackreciprocatedby a driving-shaft and engaging segmental pinions fittingloosely upon the shafts of the dieheads, pawls pivoted to said pinionsand engaging ratchets fixed upon the shafts of the die-heads,spring-detents adapted to lock the die-heads in position by engagingnotched disks on their shafts, and fingers or projections secured tothe-reciprocating rack and acting intermittently to withdraw the detentsfrom the notches of the disks, substantially'as set forth.

6. The combination, in a machine for the manufacture of compressedpills, &c., of a frame, a driving-shaft, a carrier-disk or moldwheeljournaled on a stem in the frame, mechanism for intermittently rotatingsaid carrierdisk, a pair of blocks or slides fitted in guides in theframe above and below the carrier-disk, respectively, each carrying adie-head and series of pressing-dies or plungers, mechanism by whichreciprocating movement is imparted to said blocks from thedriving-shaft, mechanism for.intermittentlyrotating said die-heads,lubricators and cleaners adapted to operate successively upon theseveral pressing-dies,

and an ejector and a cleaner secured to one of the die-head blocks, andacting respectively toej'ect the-finished pills and to remove foreignmatters from the molds of the carrierdisk, these members being combinedfor joint operation, substantially as set forth.

JABEZ 11. GILL.

Witnesses GEO. T. KELLY, J. A. BROUS.

